SOUL DORM

35

Everybody in the whole cell block

Was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock

***

CHAPTER 35:

AT THE TOP

I hated thriller movies. Life was already a giant thriller, and spending my precious time to get even more stressed, let alone paying for it, seemed foolish. What I could tolerate least was the pitiful nature of the characters in those movies. Constantly looking behind, jumping at the slightest sound, crying, whining...

Of course, one should never speak too highly of anything in life. For instance, I had found my doom by speaking too highly on this very subject. I had to die, wake up in limbo, make an enemy, and ensure her eternal hatred to learn my lesson. Yes, yes, yes, yes... A big yes to all! And now, I was that cowardly character I despised in movies.

There wasn't a moment when my eyes didn't scan around to see if I was being followed. My ears were always alert like Trouble. Rustles had become my obsession. My eye twitched, my limbs trembled, I startled at odd moments. My weekend was wasted with all these side effects of having a dangerous enemy. Thankfully, my friends were always there for me. When I needed to work in the greenhouse, Diego had said he'd accompany me, two hours later Ursa joined him, and after they left, Lark and Helene came to my side.

Instead of heading out for a fun evening by the lake, they stayed with me in my garden. Ursa and Diego showed up with food, and we cleared the table, setting out the dishes they brought from the cafeteria. As we picked at our food, trying to come up with a plan to escape this mess, the atmosphere was anything but cheerful. When Ursa, who firmly believed we should never disturb the Principal, suggested that I confront her, it only confirmed my growing sense of hopelessness.

We didn't make much progress before returning to the Dorm together. Thankfully, the rooms were off-limits to anyone but the souls themselves, giving me a reprieve until morning. But I couldn't stay hidden behind four walls forever. I needed a solution. What? How? When? I wrestled with this unsolvable puzzle all night. The next day was no better than the last. Ursa was at my door before I could even get dressed, just in case. After getting ready, we went down for breakfast together, picked our meals together, and sat side by side.

The following day was nearly a carbon copy of the previous one. In the meantime, I encountered Pam three times. In the cafeteria, in the corridor, and again in the cafeteria... Diego jumped up before I did, probably expecting her to charge at me with pink sparks flying. Instead, she flipped her hair, leveled us with those arrogant looks, and continued on her way. If it weren't for the devilish smile on her lips, I might have thought she had forgotten about the incident. No, she definitely hadn't forgotten. Like a cunning snake, she was just waiting for the right moment to strike.

I wished she would just grab a knife and attack me. That would have been a much less painful end. Living with this uncertainty was like having cancer. Death was there, slowly, piece by piece, taking me over, but I couldn't predict when it would claim my life. Naturally, I spent another night without sleep. I hadn't completed the flowers Angel Ria wanted, hadn't revisited the topics from the previous week, hadn't prepared for the upcoming lessons. When I woke up and saw my mailbox flashing, I prayed for mercy from the Dorm. It wasn't granted.

Rock Climbing

That's what was written in my class schedule. It had to be a joke, of course. I loved almost every kind of sport. But climbing... No, thank you, I'll pass. I've always hated heights. Especially these days when my life was already on edge, the last thing I needed was to fall from several meters high.